Exercise and memory improvement for older individuals

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The importance of daily or constant exercise to a person’s wellbeing has been stressed enough by health experts on journals and publications. It contributes to the preservation of youthfulness in a person and is, therefore, one of the activities that aging adults must add to their daily routine. Exercise not only keeps them mobile and their bodies strong, but it also boosts their mood and enhances their memory. Both effects are important to maintain a high quality of life in old age.

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However, as professional caregivers from companies like Interim HealthCare or BrightStar Care can confirm, the lack of knowledge on how much physical activity is required to get those health benefits can lead to unnecessary dependence on medication to improve or maintain cognitive function in aging individuals.


This is why a group of researchers from the University of California, Irvine sought to find out just how much exercise was enough to get the memory boosting effects of exercise. It turned out that even a brief exercise routine was enough for an older adult to gain boosts in memory function.

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The researchers link the improvement in recall after exercise to the release of the brain chemical called norepinephrine. While the connection is still speculative at present, researchers are optimistic that the results of the study may open up new avenues for more appropriate intervention methods to prevent individuals from succumbing to the effects of dementia and cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s.


For more information on professional care for aging adults, visit www.brightstarcare.com.